Old world wisdom, new world insight – poems, poetry, philosophy, dreams, commentary, ideas

Saddest Songs of Rock and Roll – #44

Prince is an American musician and songwriter and performer and the only person in the world who changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol (the love symbol). What nerve. What an inspiration. What creativity! What was he thinking?

People like this can drive us nuts. Sometimes it is out of envy. Other times, could it be that we compare our lives to theirs? While Prince was largely successful in the music industry, he was in a lot of pain in his personal life.

In 1984 Albert Magnoli, the director of the highly successful Purple Rain film, had asked Prince to write an additional song for a scene. The song was to be rooted in parental problems and a love affair.

The original dance track reached the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984. Fans felt the pain of the lyrics throughout its upbeat tempo. Continued career success launched Prince into the #27 position on the Rolling Stone Magazine List of 100 Greatest Artists. But, according to news reports he was nursing an opioid addiction. The grass is not always greener on the other side.

Number 44
Prince Rogers Nelson, the artist formally known as Prince, wrote and performed all the instruments on “When Doves Cry” and curiously without a bass line. As a dance track, this was unique to all disco and club music of the 1980s.

The painful side of Prince’s life began at the age of 10 when his parents separated. He tried living with both. Later in life he had a brief 1996 marriage to singer/ dancer Mayte Garcia. Their union produced Prince’s only heir, Ahmir Gregory. The infant died a week after birth from Pfeiffer Syndrome. Prince’s fashionable high heeled boots caused him to have a double hip replacement in 2008.

At Prince’s death in 2016, the song re-entered the charts and became a Top Ten song at #8. Again, fans felt the pain of the lyrics, but mourned the loss of the influential artist. Pain comes to all of us in many shapes and sizes.

Lyrics: written by Prince

Dig if you will the picture
Of you and I engaged in a kiss
The sweat of your body covers me
Can you my darling
Can you picture this?

Dream if you can a courtyard
An ocean of violets in bloom
Animals strike curious poses
They feel the heat
The heat between me and you

How can you just leave me standing?
Alone in a world that’s so cold? (So cold)
Maybe I’m just too demanding
Maybe I’m just like my father, too bold
Maybe you’re just like my mother
She’s never satisfied (She’s never satisfied)
Why do we scream at each other
This is what it sounds like
When doves cry

Touch if you will my stomach
Feel how it trembles inside
You’ve got the butterflies all tied up
Don’t make me chase you
Even doves have pride

How can you just leave me standing?
Alone in a world so cold? (World so cold)
Maybe I’m just too demanding
Maybe I’m just like my father, too bold
Maybe you’re just like my mother
She’s never satisfied (She’s never satisfied)
Why do we scream at each other
This is what it sounds like
When doves cry

How can you just leave me standing?
Alone in a world that’s so cold? (A world that’s so cold)
Maybe you’re just too demanding (Maybe, maybe I’m like my father)
Maybe I’m just like my father, too bold (Ya know he’s too bold)
Maybe you’re just like my mother (Maybe you’re just like my mother)
She’s never satisfied (She’s never, never satisfied)
Why do we scream at each other (Why do we scream, why)
This is what it sounds like